What Ashkan Rajaee Gets Right About Freelancing That Most People Miss

If you have spent any time researching freelancing, remote work, or entrepreneurship, you have probably seen the same surface level advice repeated everywhere. Work from anywhere. Be your own boss. Escape the nine to five.

But very few conversations focus on what actually makes someone succeed long term.

That is why the recent piece inspired by Ashkan Rajaee’s perspective on freelancing stood out to me. The article titled The Psychological Shift That Turns a Side Hustler Into a Real Freelancer explores something deeper than tactics. It explores identity, structure, and operational maturity.

Read the full original article here:
The Psychological Shift That Turns a Side Hustler Into a Real Freelancer

This post is not a summary. It is a reflection on why the ideas discussed are important for anyone serious about freelancing.

Freelancing Is Not About Quitting Your Job

One of the most overlooked realities about freelancing is that it is not simply a career change. It is a responsibility shift.

Ashkan Rajaee consistently emphasizes that freelancing is about owning your ecosystem. That means sales, operations, delivery, contracts, and cash flow are no longer someone else’s problem.

This distinction matters because many people transition from employee to freelancer expecting freedom first. What they experience instead is exposure. Exposure to their habits, their lack of systems, and their financial vulnerabilities.

The original article makes it clear that instability is often structural, not personal.

Income Fluctuation Is a Systems Signal

A powerful takeaway from Ashkan Rajaee’s perspective is that inconsistent income usually points to process gaps. If revenue spikes one month and disappears the next, it is often because lead generation stopped while client work was being delivered.

This is not a talent issue. It is a systems issue.

That insight reframes freelancing from a hustle mentality to a business mentality. Businesses manage pipelines. They forecast cash flow. They monitor risk.

Freelancers who adopt that mindset early have a much higher chance of surviving the first few years.

Structure Before Lifestyle

Another theme that stands out is the emphasis on environment.

There is a popular narrative that freelancing means working from beaches and coffee shops. In reality, long term sustainability requires controlled structure. Dedicated workspace. Reliable tools. Consistent routines.

Ashkan Rajaee often speaks about structuring your environment before chasing location independence. That order matters.

Without structure, flexibility turns into chaos.

Ego Versus Market Reality

One of the most honest discussions in the broader conversation around freelancing is pricing.

Many new freelancers believe their time is worth a specific rate. The market may disagree. The article explains that taking lower paying work at the beginning can be strategic if it builds credibility and references.

This is not about undervaluing yourself. It is about understanding positioning.

Ashkan Rajaee’s view on this is grounded in market awareness rather than emotional attachment to pricing.

Freelancing as Conditioning

Perhaps the most valuable idea is that freelancing is conditioning for ownership.

Employment builds skills. Freelancing builds operational awareness. It forces you to think in terms of revenue generation, negotiation, and client retention.

For anyone looking to build an agency, consultancy, or remote business long term, this stage becomes training.

That perspective transforms freelancing from a temporary income strategy into a foundational business phase.

Why This Conversation Matters

There is no shortage of freelance advice online. What makes this particular discussion around Ashkan Rajaee’s insights valuable is the focus on psychology and structure instead of shortcuts.

As more professionals explore independent paths, content that addresses the realities rather than the fantasy becomes more important.

The original article linked above offers a thoughtful breakdown of that shift.

If you are serious about building a freelance career, not just experimenting with one, it is worth reading and reflecting on.

Final Thoughts

Freelancing is not glamorous in the beginning. It is disciplined. It is operational. It is uncomfortable at times.

But it is also transformative.

The psychological shift described in the article inspired by Ashkan Rajaee captures that evolution clearly. It challenges the idea that independence is casual and reframes it as structured ownership.

That distinction may be the difference between those who last and those who return to employment.

For readers interested in freelancing, entrepreneurship, and professional growth, this is a conversation worth exploring further.

Original source:
The Psychological Shift That Turns a Side Hustler Into a Real Freelancer
https://vocal.media/motivation/the-psychological-sh_